Tongue for farm implements.



G. M. SGHNELL.

TONGUE FOR FARM IMPLEMENTS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. a, 1012.

mLUlBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASNINOTON. D. c

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

UN 1E GEORGE M. SCHNELL, OF KELLOGG, IOW'A.

TONGUE FOR FARM IMPLEMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

Application filed September 3, 1912. Serial No. 718,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon M. SCHNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kellogg, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Tongue for Farm Implements, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a tongue for farm implements so mounted on the implement that the tongue may swing laterally to a limited extent to thereby enable the team to pull more directly ahead in making turns than it could do with the ordinary tongue.

More particularly it is my object to provide a tongue for farm implements mounted on the implement in such manner that it may be held firmly in its ordinary position, and provided with means for releasing the tongue and permitting it to swing laterally to a limited extent in making a turn.

A further object is to provide such a tongue and means for releasing it to swing laterally, which means may be controlled 1 by a foot lever from the drivers seat.

A further object is to provide with such a tongue means for holding it in substantially horizontal position at all times.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of a tongue for farm implements embodying my invention, installed on the frame of an implement. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of same, the ordinary mechanism for mounting and controlling the tongues being shown in section. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the rear end of my improved tongue for farm implements.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a transverse frame member of a farm implement and the numeral 11 to indicate a longitudinal frame member thereof. The member 11 is designed to carry doubletrees 12 in any suitable manner. Pivotably mounted upon the member 11 at a point spaced apart from its rear end by means of a bolt 13 is a tongue 14. The rear end of the tongue 11 is movably mounted on the member 11 in the following manner:

Centrally mounted upon the upper surface of the member 11 beneath the rear end of the tongue 11 is a flat plate 15, the rear surface or edge of which is curved on the arc of circle having its center in the middle of the bolt 13. In the middle of the lower surface of the tongue 14 at the rear end thereof is a longitudinal slot 16. Mounted on the lower surface of the tongue 141 at the rear end thereof is a plate 17 which covers the slot 16. Formed on the plate 17 adjacent to the rear end of the tongue 14 is an upwardly extending lateral flange 18 which covers the end of the slot 16 at the rear end of said tongue. Formed on the rear end of said plate 17 and spaced apart from each other are two vertical flanges 19. In the flange 18 is a slot or opening 20.

At the rear end of the plate 17 between the flanges 19 is a notch 20 to receive the latch device which will be hereinafter described. On the rear end of the plate 17 on each side of the notch 20 are downwardly extending flanges 26 on the lower end of which are forwardly extending flanges 27. The rear edge of the plate 15 is received between the flanges 27 and the lower edge of the plate 17, and the tongue 11 is thereby slidably mounted on the plate 15 and is held against tilting.

Mounted in the slot 16 is a plate or bar 21 having at its forward end an upward extension or flange 22. The bar 21 extends rearwardly beyond the tongue to a point between the flanges 19. From the rear end of the plate or bar 21 is a downwardly extending flange 23 on the lower end of which is a forwardly extending flange 2 1.

The bar 21 and the parts formed thereon which have just been described, form a latch or catch device received within the slot 16. Between the flange 22 and the flange 18 is an extensible coil spring 25 which tends to keep the latch device at the forward position of its movement. It will be seen that the flange 23 is received in the notch 20 in the plate 17, and the rear edge of the plate 15 is received between the plate 17 and the flange 241 as shown in Fig. 2.

'In the middle of the rear edge of the plate 15 is a notch in which the flange 23 is received and held by means of the spring 25 when the tongue 14 is in position immediately over the member 11. The tongue 14 is thereby held against swinging laterally.

For releasing the latch device, I have provided the following means: Pivoted to the lower surface of the plate 15 at a point spaced apart from the member 11 is a lever 28 shown in Fig. 2 and shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The lever 28 extends transversely beneath the plate 15 past the flange 24 on a level therewith. The other end of the lever 28 is pivoted to a rod 29 which extends rearwardly and is pivotably mounted on a foot lever 30 of suitable construction mounted on the frame of the machine, as for instance, as shown on the frame member 10. It will be seen that by operating the foot lever 30, the lever 28 is drawn rearwardly, and by engaging the flange 24 draws the latch device rearwardly thereby moving the flange 28 out of engagement with the notch in the plate 15 and permitting the rear end of the tongue 14 to slide laterally on the plate 15. On the rear side of the plate 15 at each end thereof are rearwardly extending lugs 31 for limiting the movement of the tongue 14 on the plate 15.

In the practical operation of my improved tongue for farm implements, the normal position of the rear end of the tongue 14 is directly above and parallel with the member 11 with the flange 23 of the catch device received in the notch in the rear edge of the plate 15. In operating the machine on which my tongue is mounted, when it is clesired to turn the machine, the foot lever may be pedally operated to release the catch device from engagement with the notch 15, and if the team turns for instance to the left, the rear end of the tongue 14 slides laterally on the plate 15 to the limit of its movement. The team whereby the machine is drawn is thereby enabled to turn the machine with a minimum of side pull. lVhen the team turns and the tongue 14 is in line with the longitudinal axis of the machine, the flange 23 will slip into the notch in the plate 15 on account of the action of the spring 25, and

. the tongue will therefore be held in its normal position until once more released by the driver of the machine.

The advantage of my improved tongue may be largely seen from the foregoing descriptions. It will be seen that the side pull in making the turn is reduced to a minimum and that the turn may thereby be made by a direct pull of the team. Many variations in the structure shown in the drawings may be made without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In a device of the class described, a frame member, a tongue pivoted thereto at a point spaced apart from the rear, end, a curved plate provided with a notch at its rear edge on said frame member adjacent to and below the rear end of said tongue, said tongue being provided with a slot in-its under surface at its rear end, aplate on the lower surface of said tongue, covering said slot, said plate being provided with a notch at its rear end and with downwardly extending flanges on each side of said notch, said flanges having downward and forward ex tensions to receive and travel on said curved plate, a plate mounted in said slot and hav ing a downward extension designed to be received in said notch in said curved plate, and yielding meansfor holding said last'named plate at the forward limit of its movement;

2. In a device of the class described, a frame member, a tongue pivoted thereto at a point spaced apart from the rear end, a curved plate provided with a notch at its rear edge on said frame member adjacent to and below the rear end of said tongue, said tongue being provided with a slot in its under surface at its rear end, a plate on the lower surface of said tongue, covering'said slot, said plate being provided with a notch at its rear end and with downwardly extending flanges on each side of said notch, said flanges having downward and forward extensions to receive and travel on said'curved plate, a plate mounted in said slot and having a downward extension designed to be received in said notch in said curved plate, yielding means for holding said last named plate at the forward limit of its movement and means for drawing said last named plate rearwardly.

Des Moines, Iowa, August 15, 1912.

GEORGE M. SCHNELL.

Witnesses:

C. O. MCLAIN, Gnssm GRIEBELING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

